


Hot Summer

by nonamenogain



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Lifeguards, Curses, Day At The Beach, Gay Pride, Homophobia, Jihoon Is A Brat, M/M, Minor Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Slurs, and yeah joshua is super supportive???, at least jeonghan tries to, beach, dk says omg a lot, don't look at me, i dunno how to write, i hope this is hot enough, i love them :((((, i'm sorry for using geological terms incorrectly, in my head it is???, jeonghan is a choir nerd, seungcheol is a lifeguard, seungkwan cares about health, surprise!!!, vocal unit doing their thing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:55:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27356881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonamenogain/pseuds/nonamenogain
Summary: Jeonghan finds the beach hot, for several reasons.Seungcheol is a lifeguard and Jeonghan is a gay man.
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 60





	1. The Hottest Day of Summer

**Author's Note:**

> Got inspired watching HSM memes, haha! Then I saw a picture of S.Coups dressed as a lifeguard...  
> Might edit some text afterwards, since I just want it out off my system.  
> I'm planning on making this a thing of three chapters, if that would be interesting!

It was the hottest day of summer. The sun shone as ever before and clouds were nowhere to be found in the sky. The temperature was rising to a level where people started to get desperate. Everyone tried to deal with the heat in their own way. Many of them turned to the beach, just like Jeonghan and his friends. 

And still, Jeonghan didn’t find the weather the most challenging to keep his cool. It was another human, a young man, several meters up in the air. 

The lifeguard had caught his attention as he had first laid his eyes on the bay. The silhouette at the watchtower had kept his gaze out on the sea, watching the people playing and swimming in it. Even though Jeonghan couldn’t see the other man very well from where he clumsily stepped in the frying sand, he could see that the young man was built. Well-built. He could outline broad shoulders, and soon after his profile, showing off some handsome features. The man could be called sturdy, to say the least. Jeonghan continued stumbling down the beach area, already feeling squiggly. 

”Oh my God! We’re finally here!” Seokmin exclaimed, erupting Jeonghan’s thoughts. 

Behind Seokmin tumbled Seungkwan, followed by Jihoon and Joshua. Everyone tried to balance all their baggage while desperately trying to wipe away the sweat dripping from their foreheads. Once they found a place in the fragment of a shadow that was left, they all came crashing down on their blankets and towels.

They had decided to take a day off their choir schedule, since the day had been too hot for them to handle. Joshua had volunteered to drive them all to the nearest beach. Jeonghan was more than thankful for his not just generous but funny and easy-going friends. They were all pretty different, but somehow made it work. His small group of friends were not only the people he met up with for musical work, but also always hung out with during his spare time. Now, all sweaty and tired, they were more than ready for the beach. 

“I need to take a swim, like right now!” Seungkwan wailed, quickly leaving for the shore. Seokmin followed him immediately, while the more hesitant Jihoon decided to come too. The sand burning their feet made them all let out hisses and small screams, but not enough sounds to startle the lifeguard, to Jeonghan’s disappointment. He couldn’t help but laugh a little at the funny scene. Although, his giggle was not sincere enough for Joshua not to notice something was different with his best friend. When Jeonghan’s eyes trailed off to the tower, Joshua definitely knew what was up.

“Yup, he’s hot.” Joshua stated, raising an eyebrow. Jeonghan got startled.

“I have no idea of what you’re talking about.” Jeonghan blushed. It was hard to pretend being careless and clueless when your mind clearly wasn’t.

“Well, I know what, or even more likely who you’re ogling at. You’re not as smooth as you think you are.”

Jeonghan hissed and started to argue against his friend’s unbelievable allegations, even though they were true. The blonde couldn’t hold his face for long though, since the lifeguard had started climbing down the long wooden ladder. Jeonghan couldn’t help but wonder how those hands would be able to grasp his body instead of those sticks. 

The man had some serious guns, and they seemed to be working very well. To Jeonghan’s disappointment, the lifeguard was quite dressed. His black, thick hair was protected by a red dad cap. It matched his red, loosely set shorts very well. Jeonghan could see all the way from his blanket that those calves and that butt showing underneath looked sculpted. Standing in the sand, Jeonghan could see that the man was neither short, nor tall. They might have even been the same height. However, that man was much more sturdy than himself. It fitted him perfectly. His torso was clad with a white t-shirt, where it read “LIFEGUARD” on his impossibly well-shaped chest. Jeonghan thanked that piece of clothing for not letting too much for his own imagination. It clung tightly to his arms and his collarbones. He could see that the man’s stomach was flat underneath. For a second, the man took off his cap to fix his hair. Jeonghan shivered a little watching it. He couldn't help but bite his lip. 

Yes, Jeonghan was horny and that man checked all his boxes. He found himself having a hard time breathing.

The man had started to walk around, talking to almost everyone he met on the beach. When the black-haired man turned to quickly watch the people out in the water once more, Jeonghan suddenly regretted not having joined his friends for a swim. Jeonghan observed, but tried to look innocent, as the man walked around the whole beach with a dashing smile. It was a gummy smile, fully showing his white teeth. It made a butterfly start souring in Jeonghan’s stomach. The lifeguard seemed to stop to joke or show sincere concern for the different visitors he met on his way. They all seemed to like him.

“He looks so charming,” Jeonghan sulked, throwing his head backwards into his blanket. “He has literally walked around everywhere but here. Why doesn’t he come over to us? Maybe he hates me.”

“Or maybe he just has a job to do. And he hasn’t even met you! You’re being impossible.” Joshua laughed, waving his book and jokingly hitting his friend with it.

It soon started to dawn on the hopeless romantic that the lifeguard had actually started to move towards their part of the beach. It was like an answered prayer, and still Jeonghan wasn’t ready. He started fidgeting, slowly panicking over what pose and angle would be his best for the encounter. 

“He’s on his way over here, isn’t he?” Joshua said with a smug grin, not looking up from his book. 

“Yes,” Jeonghan said swiftly. It came out almost like a whisper. He could practically hear his own heart racing.

He was basically sex on legs, Jeonghan concluded, when the man walked over to their small beach camp. The lifeguard, who was more than welcome to rescue Jeonghan from his own miserable life, was even more gorgeous up close. He was not only set with a perfect body, but also a beautiful face. His eyes were big and deep brown, his lashes long and black. And his smile was life-threatening. It was as gummy and teeth-showing as before, and absolutely wonderful. The best part was that it was directed to him. And Joshua, but that didn’t matter. The butterfly Jeonghan had felt before had now multiplied and they were all crashing into each other in his abdomen.

“Hello there!” The voice was low but yet honey-dripping. Jeonghan noticed all the sweat glittering at his hairline and on his big arms. It was also the only thing he could concentrate on at that moment.

“Hi!” Joshua answered when Jeonghan didn’t.

“Hot day, isn’t it? I hope you’re having a great time, despite the tough heat.”

“Yeah, we’re struggling to cope, haha!” Joshua seemed sincere but kicked Jeonghan as discreetly as possible. It was surely a hint for him, but Jeonghan didn’t know what to say. He was fallen, speechless. “But it’s really nice and much needed to get down here. We truly love it here! Don’t we, Hannie?”

Finally coming to his senses, Jeonghan nodded his head eagerly.

“That’s great,” beamed the lifeguard, to then take off with a more serious note. “I must remind you to please follow the recommendations for hot days like this one.”

_Hot days, indeed._

“Is there anything I can assist you with?” He turned his head from Joshua to lock eyes with Jeonghan.

_My heart._

“No, thank you very much,” he blurted too quickly, lost in his own thoughts. Panicking, feeling like that may have sounded too cutting and cold, he added: “But it’s very kind of you to offer your help.” If it was possible, his cheeks have turned even more red.

“Alright! Just call my name or come to my watchtower over there”, he pointed towards the tower, as if they didn’t already know where he was usually located. 

“My name is Seungcheol. But you can call me Cheol,” he smiled and winked at Jeonghan. Or at least, that's how Jeonghan thought happened. But that couldn’t possibly be true. _That guy? Winking? At him?_

The man he now knew as Cheol waved at them before returning to his watchtower. Jeonghan watched him during the whole walk back. Maybe he wasn’t just sexy and unbelievably handsome, but also a very sincere and nice person? Unfortunately, Jeonghan had never met anyone like that before. The men he had dated had either been hot or friendly, never both. If Cheol was the person he seemed to be, then maybe, he could be the best boyfriend material ever. If the man even was interested in guys to begin with. Maybe he was only charming for his job. He sighed, and stretched himself out on his blanket. He ignored Joshua, who clearly waited for a reaction with that smug smile.

~*~

”Hyung, please drink your water. We need to hydrate, it’s really important,” Seungkwan pleaded for what seemed like the twentieth time that day.

Jeonghan sighed and took a small sip from his bottle. He was busy. The blonde had gone back to eyeing the lifeguard. He was determined to not stare as intensely as before though. However, doing two things at the same time seemed to be impossible for Jeonghan. Therefore, for his second gulp, it came too much water at once, wetting his shirt. 

”He’s thirsty for someone, alright.” Jeonghan sputtered out the water that was left. Joshua clearly couldn’t keep his mouth shut. That smug grin was back on his face.

“What?!” Seungkwan blurted.

“What do you mean? What’s up with Jeonghan?” Seokmin asked, almost worried.

“I don’t even have a chance.” Jeonghan exclaimed, clearly ignoring his dongsaengs. “He would never… He’s way out of my league.”

“I really thought he was checking you out, in a professional way. I mean, it seemed like he was flirting when he winked at you.” Joshua said it all with an uplifting tone. He really tried his best to soothe him, and Jeonghan loved him for that.

The others were still struggling to keep up, offering questioning faces back and forth between the elders. 

“He’s craving that lifeguard.” Joshua explained, matter of factly. He tilted his head to point at the watchtower. 

The others’ faces went through confusion and surprise, to settle for astonishment. There was a sudden outbreak into a fit of laughter and cheers. Joshua kept smiling with that stupid grin and Jeonghan hated him for it.

“Haha! Oh my God, hyung!”

“Hey, you’re not at all out of his league, more like the other way around! You’re gorgeous!”

“He would be lucky!”

“That’s what you’ve been doing all day! You’re so wipped for that man!”

“No, I’m not!” Jeonghan growled. “Please, would you just shut up about it?”

”No. You’re clearly dying to get laid,” Jihoon said, stating it like a fact. 

”Excuse me?!”

”I wouldn’t use those terms,” Joshua answers, ever the diplomat. “But you’re clearly weak for him. You should make a move if you’re interested.” 

“You’ve got nothing to lose, hyung!”

“ANYWAY!” Jeonghan tried to desperately shut them down. “I’m gonna go for a swim now.”

There was some whistling and chuckling. 

“Okay, hyung! But please don’t hate us! Please, please drink your water. You’ll faint if you don’t.”

“Joshua, you’re coming with?” Jeonghan said, more like a demand than a question, clearly ignoring Seungkwan’s comment. He hoped Joshua could see the desperation in his eyes, and the other clearly did.

“Yes, let’s go! This is getting too heated!” He laughed, trying to settle down the chaos that had erupted.

Jeonghan tried not to reveal any emotion while rushing down to the water. He was determined to not look up at the watchtower when he walked by. Quickly tossing his towel to the side, he damned this whole day for being a sweaty nightmare. 

He could hear Joshua hurrying behind, cussing at the hot sand.

Once the water hit him it felt like a cold rescue, a refreshing re-start. 

Soon enough, another feeling started to cripple down Jeonghan’s body. It was a very unsettling feeling, black dots forming at the corners of his eyes. He managed to register his body going numb, before suddenly collapsing in the water.

~*~

“Jeonghan!” He heard a voice in the distance. It sounded like Joshua’s, but it didn’t match the man hovering over him.

The blurry face slowly turned to normal as Jeonghan kept blinking. Sharp cheekbones and wide neck. It was Cheol. The man looked at him with a serious face but worried eyes. Jeonghan found himself thinking that he could lie like this all day, cataloging his beautiful features. The magical moment was abruptly interrupted by the sea-victim's sudden need to cough up salty water, shooting it like a projectile from his mouth. This day had really been both a dream and a nightmare. Maybe it was all an illusion. Or a very bad, heart-wrenching joke.

“How are you feeling?” Cheol’s voice was too sweet and warm to cope with.

Realising he was lying in the sand, Jeonghan came to remember he had been out in the water before everything had turned black. Connecting the dots, he realised that Cheol must have saved him. He wanted to blurt out all kinds of things, but the only words that came out were: 

“What happened?” His voice was weak and hoarse.

“Oh my God, is he okay?!” It sounded like Seokmin.

“You fainted, it seems like you got dehydrated,” Cheol said calmly, voice filled with concern. Jeonghan came back to focus on the voice just above him. His brown eyes were dilated, impossibly cuter than before.

“I told you so!” He could hear Seungkwan’s voice in the distance.

Jeonghan’s sudden irritation made him stirr. Trying to locate himself, he could make out a lot of people standing around him, but not as close to him as the man of his dreams. His eyes halted at the other man’s torso. It was now shirtless, dripping with water and possibly sweat. The man wasn’t just sporting abs, they were more than Jeonghan could count in that frustrating position. Cheol was indeed bulky. Jeonghan could have fainted again.

“Are you okay?” Cheol sounded again, clearly wanting answers.

_No, I’m not. I can’t possibly be._

The lifeguard held out a big but smooth hand for him. Flushed, Jeonghan took it and was easily lifted by those broad arms and shoulders. When he got up on his feet, the sand started running down his body. Suddenly, he was surrounded by his dear friends. The lifeguard disappeared in the commotion. Jeonghan couldn’t help but feel an immediate loss.

The blonde received both angry and worried comments from his choir members. But they were all so relieved it had all gone well, considering the circumstances. Some witty remarks started to pop up once they had all hugged their friend tightly. 

“The lifeguard literally gave you the mouth-to-mouth method! He practically kissed you, so congratulations! Where do we go to celebrate?!” Seokmin squealed.

“Seemed like he enjoyed it too,” Jihoon winked.

“Woozi! Hannie almost died!” 

“But he lived, didn’t he?” Jihoon cleared his throat. “Hey, I’m sorry about before. You were just-”

“Ehum,” they all stopped at the sudden sound. They turned to see the lifeguard rubbing the nape of his neck. “Sorry for interrupting, I just wanted to say I hope you’re okay, and if you feel any different, I would strongly advise you to go to the hospital. Please excuse me, I have to get back to my watchtower.”

They all exchanged glances. Jeonghan wanted to say something, anything, but he was washed over with exhaustion. He could just muster a weak smile.

“Thank you so, so much. You saved his life,” Joshua’s voice was trembling. He started to steare Jeonghan to his beloved cab at the parking lot. The other friends scurried after them. Seungkwan couldn’t stop his scolding.

“Now you have to drink your bodyweight in water! And add salts! It’s okay hyung, I have a plan for you!”

Jeonghan smiled to himself, the shock starting to seep out of his tense body. He turned his head back to see Cheol giving him a shy wave. He answered it with a similar gesture. A light breeze had now entered the warm afternoon, making the trees dance quietly in the wind.

It was indeed a hot summer. And Jeonghan was clearly wipped for that lifeguard.


	2. Distracting Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is written a bit different than the first one. jeonghan is on a new adventure, this time alone!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hate myself for coming up with such an utterly cliche story, but now i’ve created it i might as well continue it. i hope you all are feeling well <3

The second time Jeonghan went to the beach, he went alone. The day was not as hot as it had been last time he and his friends had paid a visit, but summer was still present in the air and light of the shore. Jeonghan had wanted to come down here for a long time, but had been soaked in work and choir activities. He desperately wanted to meet the hot lifeguard once more, while he still had mixed feelings about last time. He was happy Seungcheol, or Cheol, had noticed him, but he wasn’t as happy about the way they had met. Puking salt water in front of a crush was definitely not the first impression Jeonghan had wanted to give the hunk, although the experience might have made an impact strong enough to make Cheol remember him. Hopefully, he would have a better chance of having a real conversation with the man today. Observing the man close up could only be a bonus.

His chest felt like a balloon filled with helium as he caught the sight of Seungcheol up in his wooden tower. The guard wore a different shirt than last time, a red one. It tugged in the right places, revealing Seungcheol’s muscular back. Jeonghan swooned a little as he came to the conclusion that red was definitely his colour. He didn’t fail to notice that the cap was off now, letting luscious locks move in the wind. Jeonghan had had the feeling he would be able to meet him, but had still been worried Seunghceol wouldn’t work that day. The realisation of his presence made him skip down the sand, legs trembling with nervousness. The blonde hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the other man. He would never admit it to his friends, even though they had discussed the lifeguard after the previous time Jeonghan had been by the beach. They all found it funny and were happy for him and Jeonghan had a feeling he might have shown more of his thoughts and emotions to his friends than he had hoped. Even though he had only met Cheol once, he felt as if he needed him in his life in one way or another. He hoped he had a chance, but he wasn’t too sure. 

Therefore, he had come up with a brilliant idea, if he could say so himself. The mission of the day was to get the information he needed. He had to know if the other man was gay. And if he was single. His plan was to seduce him and his weapon was anything but discreet. He had brought his favourite towel with him. It was pretty revealing, formed in stripes with colours of the rainbow. To top it off, he had bought a pair of tight swimming shorts in the same pattern of the same pride flag. It was the only piece of clothing Jeonghan wore as he stripped off his thin beach kaftan and stretched out on his towel, slightly pushing down the warm sand underneath. Even though fainting had made him come in contact with Seungcheol the previous time, his way of getting his attention would be another today. Therefore, he was more keen on drinking enough water to keep him hydrated. 

Jeonghan unscrewed the lid of his bottle and took more than one gulp of the cold water. Maybe some spilled water down his shirt wouldn’t hurt. Perhaps it would just add to the sexy aura he tried to build up as he posed on his pride flag. He tried to show off his butt and wiggled his legs while doing so. He knew Jihoon would have called his gaze desperate, but Jeonghan thought of it as longing as he looked up to the lifeguard, hoping he would notice him. However, his chances didn’t seem too bright as a lot of kids were out playing in the big waves. Jeonghan sighed as he pushed his sunglasses up through his ruffled hair. 

He picked up his paperback but didn’t start reading. The blonde man simply gazed secretly upon the tower for what seemed like an eternity, but what was likely just three minutes. Then, the broad shoulders turned in the seat up in the air. Seungcheol scanned the beach and Jeonghan’s heart stopped for a second when the black haired man’s eyes halted on Jeonghan. They stared at each other for a moment, until the lifeguard seemed to come to his senses and did a shy but happy wave, a smile widening across his face. Jeonghan felt himself blush uncontrollably as he eagerly waved back, beaming like a maniac. He must have looked crazy, suddenly more than happy about not being accompanied by his friends. They would never let him have peace. The temporary connection between the two men was soon to be broken, as Seungcheol continued with his watching. Jeonghan understood, and was sad about the loss of Seungcheol’s beautiful eyes. 

Sweaty and anxious from both the sun and the nerve-wracking but short event that had left Jeonghan squealing feeling like a teenager, he turned to his group chat. He had been remembered of his friends’ existence and their wish to be updated on what was happening by the watchtower. They all knew where and why the blonde would be by now. Jeonghan started typing about his experience so far. His risky but honest “I’m dyiiiing” was quickly mockingly answered by Seungkwan, who found it ironic that his hyung almost had died of thirst twice by now. More messages kept coming in.

Seokmin: **You can do it, hyung!!!**

Joshua: **Hannie! You’ve got nothing to lose!**

Jihoon: **Just use protection.**

Jeonghan was smiling once again, just about to start typing a blushing text when he was startled by a voice dripping with disgust. 

“Boys, I’ve found a fag!” The man who had called stood suddenly very close. Too close. His tall form casted a long cold shadow over Jeonghan’s place in the sand. It felt as if the sun had gone into the clouds. Jeonghan tentatively looked up from his phone as he could feel a cold shiver running through his body. 

“Excuse me?” Jeonghan sounded suddenly more nasal than usual as two other men of the same age as the first gathered around him. They made the endless beach feel like an aquarium, with Jeonghan caught between glass walls. Three cats staring down a frightened little fish.

“You should get out of here.” The man said with a threatening voice, eyes darting from the flag towel to the colourful bathing shorts, to Jeonghan’s shocked face. “We don’t want any gay men perving around.” One of the others started kicking sand over Jeonghan and his blanket. The third just glared with a pleased grin on his face. 

“What the fuck?!” Jeonghan yelled. He tried to get up but the men just pushed him back down. He had no chance against a group of fully grown adults. The young man had been through enough of similar events to not be surprised, but he couldn’t help but be scared from what was happening. Why couldn’t Jeonghan be allowed to live in peace, just for one day?! Why couldn’t the world just let him hit someone up once without spoiling everything?

He rolled over on his towel to try to sit up, but the men started pushing him with their feet. They caught a grasp of the towel and tugged at it to make Jeonghan fall down in the sand.

“No! Stop it!” Jeonghan cried, struggling to wipe away small bits of grit out of his eyes.

“What seems to be the problem here?” Jeonghan recognised his voice before he could see him. Seungcheol’s tone was even, but his eyes were filled with rage. Jeonghan felt a stroke of relief from seeing him. He also looked just as breath-taking as his last visit. If Jeonghan hadn’t been in the middle of a very stressful and uncomfortable situation, he would’ve taken him in better than he was able to now.

“Ey, calm down. We’re just tossing with him.” The younger man nodded in Jeonghan’s direction but wouldn’t look at him. The loudness of the group had dampened as if Cheol’s presence had been laid over them like a damp cloth. 

“They’re harassing me! Please…” Jeonghan’s voice faltered as he looked up at the lifeguard, both nervous and relieved. “Help me.” It came as a trembling plea, just wanting Seungcheol to understand the situation correctly. The lifeguard’s humble features only showed for Jeonghan for a second, before the other men sounded again and his head turned once more.

“We’re just protecting the visitors from harassers ogling at them. We want this to be a safe space.” The bully spoke as if their actions had been the only natural and logical ones. As if their story was true to begin with, and them not being the harassers themselves.

“You are not the ones to decide things around here.” Seungcheol was visibly angry from the man’s words. His body stood solid with self-control but his face was quite the opposite. He practically spat out his last comment as he pointed towards the parking lot with a rapid movement. “You can take your blatant homophobia and get the hell out of here!” 

“Hey-” The leader of the gang started to form yet another insulting sentence, but the lifeguard was quicker. Seungcheol moved fast but impressively slowly at the same time. Suddenly, he stood right before the man Jeonghan had found absolutely unnerving when he first had met him. Although seeing him like this, the situation made Jeonghan think otherwise. How small and pathetic the bullies were. Even though he was shorter, Seungcheol was visibly stronger than the men. He tugged at the collar of the taller man’s shirt, as to threaten him with violence if his orders weren’t followed. Jeonghan’s fear was almost tossed out the window as Cheol showed a side that made him impossibly more intriguing than before.

“Get off my beach,” His growl was so low Jeonghan barely heard it from his place down in the sand. However, that didn’t stop Jeonghan’s heart from skipping a beat. Seungcheol threw himself around to face the rest of the group and yelled a sharp “Now!”.

The men scrambled to get away as quickly as possible as Jeonghan’s mind raced at full speed. From one moment to another, he had gone from cold and scared to hot and eager. Jeonghan didn’t know if it was the aftermath of being scared, but seeing Cheol like that made his heart start racing. Where he stood, chest still heaving a bit heavier than normal from the heated argument, Cheol was absolutely beautiful. Jeonghan could have jumped on him, there and then. Wrapping his legs around his waist, getting helped by the lifeguard’s strong arms, locking his mouth with his - 

“Are you okay?” Seungcheol’s soft voice stopped Jeonghan’s spiralling thoughts. His eyes, brown and warm, simmered with concern. He was clearly distressed with his brows deeply furrowed over his nose.

“Yes,” Jeonghan answered shakily. “Thank you,” he said sincerely, looking straight into the other man’s eyes. The heavy feeling of worry and sadness Seungcheol seemed to have for Jeonghan’s well being contrasted a bit too harshly with Jeonghan’s strong horniness. Jeonghan decided to try lightning up the mood a little, not letting his hero be worried for too long. Especially since the problem had already scattered to their car and driven away.

”You’ve saved me twice by now,” Jeonghan said jokingly, trying to bat his eyelashes while looking up at him.

“It’s my job.” The answer was blunt but true. “I’m happy to see you, although I hoped the situation would be different.” Seungcheol turned quickly to gather the now sandy and tousled pride cloth. He dusted it off and bent down a bit toward Jeonghan to give it to him. How different his plan had turned out to be. He was happy he was finally able to talk to Cheol, even though it could have happened in a much more enjoyable way.

“It’s okay, I’m almost used to it,” Jeonghan shrugged, feeling a sting of sadness in his chest. He was still on the sandy ground when could feel a hesitant hand on his shoulder. Seongcheol had carefully sat down beside him. The man glistened in the bright daylight, a small flare of wind tugged at his beautiful hair just as it had when Jeonghan had come to the beach earlier that day. The only difference now was that he was much closer, and he was watching Jeonghan. His big arms were showing and his sculptured calves laid so simply on the sand right next to him. The blonde was happy he was already sitting down, otherwise his jiggly legs would have betrayed him. Suddenly flustered again, he came to think about how he had dreamt of the lifeguard at night. What if Cheol knew of all the times Jeonghan had wanked in the shower thinking of him? It was too strange, mixing near-death experiences with heated fantasies. It could never come out. 

“Hey, it shouldn’t be like that. I mean, you shouldn’t be used to being treated like that,” the unknowing man continued. “I’m really sorry to hear that that’s what you’ve experienced.” When Jeonghan only answered with a faint smile, he added: “I really like your bathing towel by the way, it’s great. I wish I had one too.” Cheol was gorgeous when he smiled, Jeonghan couldn’t help but do it too. The man’s gummy smile was not only cute but contagious. Jeonghan could recommend web shops later.

_Here goes nothing._

“Maybe… I could get your number so I could call you... whenever I’m in distress!” Jeonghan could not understand that he had just said that. He tried to save it, fumbling for the right words. 

”I mean, if something else would come up!” He pulled at his blond strands of hair, bumping his hands into his sunglasses. Maybe he could just pull them on and run as fast as he could and never come back. 

“I’m very flattered,” Cheol answered, a small smile pulling at his lips. “But don't you already have a boyfriend?” 

Jeonghan laughed out of shock and nerves. “No?!” _I’m desperately single_ , was all he wanted to scream. 

“Not that it’s wrong to be poly, I’m just afraid I’m not,” the other man continued, not quietly having heard what the other man just had said. “Not that a number has to mean anything! I’m just single and a monogamous man. I’m sorry, you were saying?” Jeonghan felt trippy as he watched Seungcheol’s face turn into a shade more similar to his crimson shirt than his usual skin tone. Red was truly his colour. 

“I said I’m single too. Perhaps I could see you when you’re not working?” Jeonghan bit his lip as he watched Seungcheol blushing, slightly dropping his chin.

~*~

As Jeonghan scrolled through his contact list once more, he still couldn’t believe that he had gotten his number. He stared at the name on his contact list, confirming that their exchange had been real. He was interrupted as a message lit up on the screen. Joshua wondered how it had gone. They all wanted to meet up at their favorite ice cream place for later.

Jeonghan: **Mission complete! Got his number as well!**

The text was followed by both an angel and a devil emoji.

Jihoon: **Gasp! Surprise! I hope you saved him as Life Saving Dick.**

Jihoon’s text only contained eggplants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i got twitter!! if someone’s feeling like discussing jeongcheol and/or seventeen in general, hmu @coupsuscamel lol


End file.
